Great Universal

Been a good, honest and responsible customer of Great Universal for around 20 years. Have never ordered things that I don't want to buy (such as extra sizes for choice etc) so rarely send things back.

Currently I'm unwell and unable to get round the high street shops and of course this is the time that the kids trainers stop fitting!!! I ordered 3 pairs of trainers in 2 different sizes (therefore 6 pairs). Only has them 2 days before my statement arrives and I've been charged for them all. This has pushed my minimum payment up by £70.

When I queried this they state that although you have 14 days home approval time - all despatched goods are added to customers account as soon as sent.

Flaming cheek - and I only ended up buying one pair of trainers worth £18.

Will be clearing my balance and leaving straight away.

Do not use great Universal..... ordered 2 items, never showed, the reason..........apparently i was already in debt with them to the sum of £250,their mistake they told me, had been given the same account number as the person who owed £250. Thought all ok, till started getting statements, then debt collection letters, wrote explained, they sold the so called debt on!!! phoned, wrote to great universal, told sorry etc. 2 years down the line, the debt has been sold on 6 times, no letter writing stops the demanding letters arriving on my door step. Imagine my horror when i signed up to a credit file agency to find my name connected to this debt, wrote a stern letter demanding they remove this from my credit file, guess what ...........no reply, will be contacting a solicitor on Monday.

I'VE been a customer of great universal for 30 years when i first got a catalogue from them we got 10 pence in the pound commission here we are 30 years later 2009 we still get 10 pence in the pound commission but they now call it cashback / rewards great universal as now changed the way this is added after a payment of 100 pounds i received no cashback/rewards thank u great universal u lost this old customer

i got a zoostorm from them and thay treated me like dirt when it busted

the day i got it and now my second has just busted so basically don't buy from great universal

The way Great Universal treats it's customers is an absolute disgrace.Please do not shop with this company.Here's my story....A letter dropped through my door last year addressed to me inviting me to enter a competition to win £10,000 to spend in the catalogue.Nice prize so i sent it off.Two weeks later a catalogue arrived on my door step with a letter offering 20% off my first order.I had no intention of using this - after all i only entered a competition, I did not ask for a catalogue.Anyway, my mother mentioned she needed a new fridge/freezer.I told her she could order one from Great Universal using the discount, so I went ahead and ordered it.Over the next year (I ordered 52 week terms),I honoured every statement that came through my door until the last statement did'nt arrive.I assumed the account was settled.Next thing I received a red letter ( I've never had a red letter in my life, I'm 34) from arrears collection department telling me I must pay two months payments before a certain date OTHERWISE a £12 administration fee would be added to my account.I phoned them and told them that the statement in question had never arrived, only to be told in no uncertain terms that payment for the 2 months was still expected.I was also told that NO CHARGES had been incurred.I payed the full amount requested well within the deadline set out.This incidentally was my final payment, I owed no more money to Great Universal - Or so I thought.As I write this 20/05/2009, I have just came off the phone to this company, The reason for phoning them to tell them I want no further dealings with Great Universal and to close my account immediately and delete all the details they hold regarding me, As i owe them no further money.The phone call turned into quite a heated debate as I was told £12 had now been added to my account and was outstanding.I told Great Universal in no uncertain terms that I would not be paying this due to the fact my account was cleared well in time.I also told them that the missed payment was not my fault as the statement did not arrive and therefore was indeed their fault.I was told rather snottily (This is where the heated debate started) that Great Universal does not have control over Royal Mail.I replied neither do I, so charge Royal Mail the £12.I was laughed at and didn't take kindly to this.I continued to state my case that it is not my fault when a statement doesn't arrive and to tell them to close the account.She insisted the £12 must be paid so I told her to sue me for it as I wouldn't be paying something which I strongly disagree with.I also pointed out that a friendly phone call to inform me of arrears on my account may have been nice rather than a menacing red letter.She said "You would of been charged £12 for that phone call anyway".I exploded at this point questioning the legality of charging a CUSTOMER £12 for what amounts to a 10p CUSTOMER care call.When all was said and done I was still told that nothing could be done and the £12 was still outstanding.Absolutely fuming I put down the phone before I said something I may of regretted later.I am now going to contact the F.O.S on this matter and send Great Universal a (rather snotty - like they were with me) letter of complaint.The worst case scenario here is Great Universal will probably ruin my good credit rating and put me on the black list for £12 that i don't even owe them.I think it is very unfair of a big company to mess individuals around like that.Furthermore I havent even mentioned the problems I had in the beginning with (faulty) guitars I ordered from them - But that's a story for another day!

They've introduced a 28 day billing process rather than a fixed monthly payment date which means if you pay in instalments now, your monthly payment date is never fixed (not very helpful if you are salaried). Also, in my experience I have found them to be inflexible when I asked them to fix my payment date and seemed quick to threaten to charge additional admin fees for late payment.

I feel that for a mail order company to treat me, a long-standing customer, like this after many years of custom, I think this is pretty poor.

I have ordered a number of items lately many have been delayed. Lots of items you are told are direct from manufacturer when they don't arrive all that happens when you chase order is that delivery date is extended. I ordered some wallpaper mid February have been given five different delivery dates the latest is mid April. I booked this week off to decorate still no paper!

Went to purchase a Weslo treadmill advertised in the sale booklet I had received yesterday, stating that the sale began at 9am on Thursday 14th June 2007. The treadmill came up as sold out at 8:58am - two minutes before the sale even began!!! What a waste of time and effort. Hence, I have asked to cancel my Great Universal catalogue account.

I ordered a game from Great Universal for my PSP and it said that it would be about a week. 3 weeks later there is still no sign. I paid the full amount with my card, and I wish I had just gone to the shops to get it.

Beware, Great Universal is Littlewoods in sheeps clothing!